BALTIMORE

I'm pretty sure that I said something in my first post about using this blog not just exclusively for crafting. If not, forgive me. My mind has been completely consumed with thoughts all night. So here it goes.


Summer break ends in 1 1/2 hours. Tomorrow, I will wake up at six a.m., curl my hair, do my makeup perfectly, put on my cute firstdayofschool outfit, and drive to downtown Nashville to my new school. I am so incredibly excited and so incredibly nervous. This is the first big change that will happen in my life. For seven years I attended a small, private, Christian school and then transitioned to a slightly larger small, private, girls' college preparatory school. In T-minus 9 hours, I will be a student at a public school right in the heart of Nashville. I know one other student, and tomorrow is his first day as well. I get to wear real clothes (no more kilts and boat shoes) and see boys every day (gasp!). So. Much. Change.


But what also happens tomorrow: one of my best friends, Megan, will move to Baltimore. She'll be thirteen hours away, in a different time zone, at a new school, and with new people. The very tiny part of me that is motherly worries for Megan. Will she make friends quickly? Will she find the right friends if she does? I want to hold her hand and walk her in to school on her first day. She'd probably hate me for that (in a loving way, of course). Megan's definitely not the most touchy, sappy person. I'm not either, at least on the surface. Since we'll both be going our own ways tomorrow, I went over to Megan's house tonight. It was so disquieting to pull into her driveway for the last time and walk into her dimly lit, completely empty, huge house. I guess I truly realized that things are happening. Everything is changing. Luckily for me and her both, Megan's quirkiness and my ability to hide my emotions made this evening much less awful than it had the potential to be. Tonight we hugged more times than we have during our whole friendship. It's just odd, the way everything is happening. 


Tomorrow, the first of August, marks changes for Megan and me that will completely alter our lives forever. And I think things are changing for our best. After fifteen miles of weeping while driving to Megan's house, fifteen miles of jamming out to One Direction on my way home, and collapsing on my bed for a few quiet moments once I got home, I am thoroughly exhausted. Life's good. Stuff's good. Let's go.


Sincerely, Mary Claire

A PICNIC

It's nearing the end of summer break here in Nashville. Or, I guess it's pretty much gone. School starts tomorrow for me...


But on a happier note, this summer has been the best yet. I've finally found that perfect balance of friends and family and alone time. Craziness and laughter and peace and quiet time. Everything is good. Yesterday I ventured out to Arrington Vineyards, nearly thirty miles from the heart of Nashville, for a picnic with two of my greatest friends. It was a really awesome time to talk and eat some good (and healthy!) food and just be together. The perfect way to end my summer.

Sincerely, Mary Claire

MASON JARS

Recently the little things laying out and around in my bathroom have been multiplying, and abeautifulmess.com (definitely my favorite craft site) gave me this really awesome way of organizing. Mason jars! They're cute and can hold anything. Here's a little tutorial:

Simple! I also filled a few jars with makeup in my bedroom.


Sincerely, Mary Claire

THE WAND

On a regular basis, I don't do anything to my hair. Messy hair, don't care - ya feel me? Normally it curls well if I just wash/condition it and let it air dry. But the one thing I couldn't live without is the wand, the most amazing curling iron ever created! I'm pretty sure there are lots of different brands of this type of curling iron, and most of them are relatively cheap. Here's a little "how-to" about the wand. You probably don't need it, but I'm a big fan of this curling iron.

1. Here's what this type of curling iron looks like (basically, it looks like a wand - ha).

2. Take a small strand of hair (larger if you want fuller curls/waves) and twist it with your fingers.

3. Twirl the already-twisted strand of hair around the curling iron; hold it there for 12-15 seconds (or for longer if you want tighter curls).

3. Finished product! I love the wand because it gives me a more wavy look than ringlets. And it makes any type of hair look super good.

Sincerely, Mary Claire

STUDS

Recently I've been feeling bored about some of my clothes and accessories, so I simply added studs to a few things. The instructions are very simple and self-explanatory, and this is probably the easiest way to "bedazzle" something.

White Patent Sandals w/ Rounded Studs:

Hard Rubber Phone Case w/ Pyramid Studs:

Sincerely, Mary Claire

LACE TRIM POCKETS

These shorts were an old pair that I loved, but I thought they were a little too grubby to wear out all the time. By adding a simple lace trim to the front and back pockets, I can wear these shorts with different things and to different places. I don't have pictures for every step, but this is really simple.

Experiment with this; try different fabrics and styles.

Sincerely, Mary Claire

ROMPER? SHORTS.

One of my favorite things about summer is the fact that I can wear whatever I want, and I'm always up for trying new styles. A few summers ago (2009 - 2010?), rompers were really popular. I owned a few, and most of them I don't wear anymore. This summer, those loose fitting shorts seem to be pretty "in." While rummaging through my closet for something cool to wear this morning, I found an old romper. The pattern is lovely, but I would never wear it because of the triangle bikini-esque top. So, what is my solution to this problem? Cut off the top and make this romper into a cute pair of shorts! Here's how you can do it yourself. 

I'm not sure if this will work for any romper, but it is definitely suitable for anything with an elastic waistband. You can modify the amount of folding or how much you cut off based on your size/fit/style, obviously. 

Sincerely, Mary Claire

BEDROOM

During the summer, I have a tendency to let my room get messy (i.e. clothes all over the floor, bed never made, photos laying all over everything). So I've made it a goal to keep my room tidy, and organizing everything in a cute and efficient way has made that easy and fun. I'm a little bit obsessive compulsive, therefore I love cleaning. Here are some easy ways to maintain a cute and neat bedroom (note: you'll have to excuse my splatter paint - it was an eighth grade thoughtless act of violence to my walls)...

1. The Closet

If you're like me or any girl, you have a lot of clothes and not a lot of closet space. My closet is fairly small and very crowded. (You can't really tell in the picture, but my hanger rack is falling down...eep!) I've organized by the item of clothes: coats and sweaters in the back, dresses next, then skirts, then shirts/tanks/etc.. In the very little free space I have, I hang scarfs (which I wear many different ways - on which I'll make a post) and belts. This way, everything I need to be hung is neat and in one place, and I can close the closet doors to hide them away if needed. 

2. And Also In The Closet

Space limits me, once again, to keep my turntable on display. So where do I put it? On the floor of the closet! Most likely, you don't have enough shoes to cover the entirety of your closet floor. If you do, it's because you're messy and don't pair your shoes together! I have enough space on my closet floor to store shoes, an old suitcase, cassettes, a backpack, sweatshirts, aaaaand the record player. I've simply put it on top of a box (not the most attractive thing, but it works. And in front of this handy dandy turntable table is an old milk crate to hold my records. 

And on another note, I use the knobs on my closet doors to hold my backpack.

3. The Guitar

This is simple and nothing special; you'd probably display your guitar this way too. I've just set up my guitar stand right outside the closet on a chunk of wall that just needed a little something. It's in the perfect place for me, and it hides a power outlet in which my record player is plugged. 

4. What's On The Door Knob

Once again, this is really simple and obvious, but I thought I'd share anyway. I have a few bags that I use often and like to keep out all the time. So I just hang my bags on the back of my bedroom door. My film camera also hangs there, since I use it often and it doesn't have another permanent residence in my room.

5. My Bed

Until recently, I had fashioned my bed with a white patterned quilt and its matching duvets, a couple purple fuzzy pillows, and a black/grey checkered pillow. My taste has changed, and I'm loving a more vintage look. This lace throw was a find from my grandmother's house. It's made for a twin bed (I have a queen) so I've just laid it in a diamond shape over my bed. The floral pillow case is a remnant of an old bedding set, and it looks lovely with the lace. I know it doesn't match the walls, but it's cute.

6. Simple Things

I'm a big believer in glass-bottle sodas - they're just better. I'm also a mini collector, so I use old bottles as flower vases. You've seen this done before, I'm sure. I cut flowers from my yard every once in a while, and this gives my room a little freshness. In addition to these, I have my Alice In Wonderland hardback collection and a vanilla candle on display. 

7. The Chest

My bedroom furniture is pretty bulky and cabinintheforest-esque. I like to keep as little as possible out on top of it. So here I display (from left to right) an un-hung framed picture, an old film canister holding earrings, a lavender candle (for calming), books, artwork, and another unscented candle. The way I've displayed my books is as follows: Books I own and need to read or just like to keep out are stacked horizontally. The brick on top of these is a remnant from Rocketown's old location, and honestly it's there because I have nowhere else to put it. Sunglasses are on top because I always need sunglasses, and if I put them up somewhere I'll definitely forget to take them out. Books I've checked out from the library are stacked beside my own books so that I can remember to return them.

8. Mirror, Mirror

Finally, I have a full-length mirror! I actually just bought it last night (for $4.50 at Target - can't beat that!). I don't plan on hanging it or securing it to the wall in any way, so it's leaning against my wall beside an tv cabinet (inside which there is no tv, only craft supplies and photos). To the left of my mirror is another milk crate, on top of which is my camera case. I'm not sure if I'll keep this set-up, but it works for now.

And Finally,

Here's a full view (almost) of my room! Right now, it's perfect for me, and I hope these ideas/tips/whatever they may be have helped you.

Sincerely, Mary Claire

FIRST POST!

Here I am, as a result of the insane amount of free time I've had this summer. All this time on my hands has led me to organize, create, design, craft, and just try some new things. And I guess I've learned that I'm pretty good at this crafty business. And I thought I'd share my endeavors/escapades with zee internets! I'm no professional (and nowhere close) but on this blog I'll be sharing DIY ideas, organizational skills, adventure photos, and some thoughts about life. So here it goes, and we'll see how well I keep up with this. 

You can find me elsewhere in the world of social networking on Tumblr, Twitter, Flickr, Facebook, and Instagram (@murryclaire).


Sincerely, Mary Claire